Fixing A File Cabinet Drawer

Has this ever happened to you? You have your cheap filing cabinet sitting next to your desk and one day you go to open your drawer to pull a file out and the drawer slides out rather poorly. You think nothing of it however until the next time you go to open the drawer. This time it sticks and doesn’t open at all. After forcing the drawer open you discover that the filing cabinet rails are either loose or have simply broken and fallen off.

To fix the problem of the faulty file cabinet drawer you have to either fix the rails which the drawer slides on or you have to replace them altogether. Either option requires a bit of work on your part because replacement parts for mass-produced office equipment are sometimes hard to come by. They are not items that most people have to worry about on a day-to-day basis.

Luckily however there are markets where replacement pats are available. You can buy replacement sliders and rails for your file cabinet just as easily as you can purchase replacement locking mechanisms and dividers. The trick in replacing the sliding rails however is that you will have to attach them to your file cabinet so that they are sturdy. This means you will likely have to attach them to the walls of your cabinet away from the spot where the original sliders were attached.

Obviously a few tools and elbow grease will be required but with the ultimate goal of saving money by not buying a new file cabinet in mind you should be able to figure this out. Considering most cheap filing cabinets are made of particle or pressed board you may find that simple tools are all that is necessary to attach your new rails to the cabinet frame however the weak wristed a small drill may help out.

Just make sure you measure your lines carefully before attaching your new rails and sliders and then re-measure to ensure a level drawer. You don’t want to install your rails and then find out that the drawers won’t fit because the rails were installed too high or low on either side. Remember the carpenter’s motto, always measure twice.